Charis Books Teams Up with Freedom U to Get Undocumented Students Textbooks

After the state of Georgia banned certain immigrant students from attaining higher education in 2010, a group of academics got together to ensure that any undocumented student have access to a college-level classes. According to its mission, Freedom University was founded, in part, because “Separate and unequal access to higher education contravenes this country’s most cherished principles of equity and justice for all.”

But honoring that principle in a clandestine setting isn’t cheap. Freedom University’s professors volunteer their time—as do the people who provide transportation and other critical support. But textbooks aren’t free. That’s why the school’s teamed up with an Atlanta-based feminist bookstore, named Charis Books. Supporters can now purchase books so that undocumented students can read and learn from titles like Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow,” and Gloria Anzaldúa’s “Borderlands/La Frontera.” Supporters are asked to pick up books from an online storefront, and include messages for the students in them.

In an email today, Charis Books’ Sara Luce Look wrote that so far, about 10 people have participated in the book program. Freedom University students need about 20 more of each book (that’s around 80 books total) to meet their goal to help make college-level classes available to all.

Read this online at http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/09/charis_books_teams_up_with_freedom_university_to_get_undocumented_students_textbooks.html

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